A Christian preacher has pleaded not guilty to breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order after he held a Bible verse near a London abortion clinic. The preacher, Stephen Green, 72, from south Wales, is the director of the campaign group Christian Voice. He held up a sign outside a Marie Stopes International (MSI) clinic in Ealing on February 6, 2023. The sign displayed Psalm 139:13, which reads, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Ealing Council charged Mr. Green with breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which prohibits protesting or engaging in acts of approval or disapproval related to abortion services. If convicted, Mr. Green could face up to six months in prison or a £1,000 fine.
At his court appearance, Mr. Green pleaded not guilty to the charge. His solicitor, Robert Smith, stated that his client would cite his rights under Articles 9 and 10 of the European Court of Human Rights Convention. Article 9 guarantees freedom of thought, belief, and religion, while Article 10 protects freedom of expression. The trial was adjourned, and much of the evidence will focus on the legal definition of the order and whether Mr. Green’s actions are protected by the Human Rights Convention.
Mr. Green insists that his protest was against buffer zones rather than abortion itself. He claims to have carried out similar protests at abortion clinics in other cities without facing any legal consequences. Mr. Green’s defense team plans to call upon expert theologian Dr. Martin Parsons to testify at the trial, emphasizing that the Bible verse displayed on the sign does not explicitly mention abortion.
The PSPO in question was introduced by Ealing Council in April 2018 to combat the harassment of women seeking abortion services. It was the first council to pass such an order, which is typically used to address anti-social behavior like littering and alcohol misuse. Similar buffer zones were later introduced across England in January 2023 under an amendment to the Public Order Bill. The bill received Royal Assent in May 2023.
Louise McCudden, UK head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, welcomed the introduction of buffer zones and stated that they would help protect reproductive rights and ensure access to abortion services free from harassment and distress. She also mentioned the global increase in anti-choice activity outside clinics and commended the UK’s efforts in protecting reproductive rights.
In a previous incident in 2019, a man named Christian Hacking was arrested for praying outside the same abortion clinic, but the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence.